Programming is lots of fun and extraordinarily useful, helping you be creative and also opening up new careers for you. If you want to learn how to program, read the tutorial below for an explanation of where to go and what to study.
Edit
Part 1 of 3: Choosing a Language
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 1 Version 3.jpg
1Choose a programming language. Computer programming is done as essentially a set of written instructions that the computer follows. These instructions can be written in a number of different "languages", which are really just different ways of organizing the instructions and text. Different languages tend to be used to create different types of programs, however, so choose one that you feel is relevant to what you want to do. You can always learn more later.
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 2 Version 3.jpg
2Consider C, C++, C# and related languages. These languages are mainly used for creating computer programs. C and C++ are easy and good beginner languages but C# is becoming much more common.
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 3 Version 3.jpg
3Consider Java or JavaScript. These are good languages to learn if you want to work on making web plugins or mobile apps. This is very much in demand right now, so it's a handy programming language to know.
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 4 Version 2.jpg
4Try Python. A very versatile language used widely across several platforms, Python is a great language to learn. Some swear by it's ease for beginners, so give it a try!
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 5 Version 2.jpg
5Consider PHP. PHP, usually used for web programming and very useful for hackers, is relatively easy to learn and usually in good demand.
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 6 Version 2.jpg
6Consider other languages too. There are tons of programming languages, all with varying uses. If you want to work as programmer, you will definitely need to know more than one, so start learning today!
Your best bet will be to look at ads for the sort of jobs you want to get and look for the common languages that they ask for.
Edit
Part 2 of 3: Learning the Language
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 7 Version 2.jpg
1Think about going to school. While most companies hiring a programmer will care more about your skills than the letters after your name, it still is generally better to have an actual degree to point to. You will learn more and more efficiently than if you teach yourself, all while getting expert guidance.
There are often scholarships and grants available to those doing degrees in this field. Don't feel intimidated by the price tag of a degree: it is possible!
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 8.jpg
2Learn from online universities. Whether you do an online degree with fees and an actual degree at the end or you're attending a free program like MIT's wonderful Coursera, you can learn a lot about programming from these structured courses.
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 9.jpg
3Try using online tools. Use free services like Google’s University Consortium or Mozilla’s Developer Network to learn more about programming. These companies want more developers to help their platforms flourish and their resources can be some of the best on the web.
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 10.jpg
4Learn using online tutorials. There are loads of programmers with websites where they will teach you the individual basics, as well as a few tricks. Look up tutorials on the language you want to learn to find these.
Many free online classes are available to learn coding from. The Khan Academy teaches computer coding, with easy tutorials and videos. Code Academy is another free site to learn from, with step-by-step tutorials.
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 11.jpg
5Start young if you can. There are several programs designed to teach kids to program. Programs like MIT's Scratch are very helpful and the younger you are, the easier it will be to pick up (like any language).
Avoid kits, as these rarely teach anything useful.
Edit
Part 3 of 3: Teaching Yourself
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 12.jpg
1Start with a good book or tutorial on programming. Get a good, current book on the programming language you want to learn. Reviews on Amazon or similar sites will usually help you identify helpful books from unhelpful ones.
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 13.jpg
2Get an interpreter for that language. An interpreter is just another computer program but it will convert ideas you've written in a programming language into "machine code" so you can see things work. Lots of programs are available and you will need to choose one that is appropriate for you.
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 14.jpg
3Read the book! Take examples of the programming language from the book and put them into your interpreter. Try changing the examples and making the program do different things.
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 15.jpg
4Try putting together your own ideas to form a working program. Start with simple things, like a program to convert currencies, and work your way up to more complex things as you continue reading and learning about your programming language.
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 16.jpg
5Learn another language. Once you start actively programming in your first language, you may want to learn a second one. You'll get the most out of learning a second programming language if you pick one that uses a radically different paradigm than the one you started with. For instance, if you started in Scheme, you might try learning C or Java next. If you started in Java, you could learn Perl or Python.
Start Learning Computer Programming Step 17.jpg
6Continue programming and trying new things! To be a good programmer you, at the very least, have to keep up with changing technology. Its a constant learning process, and you should always be learning new languages, new paradigms, and most importantly: programming new things!
EditTips
Don't jump start into complex language like Java but start with python as it encourages beginners and is composed of basically every little aspect in programming.
Start with something fun, motivate yourself to solving challenges, progressing your skills in logical problem solving.
Java has a powerful concept called multithreading. Study it carefully.
Get a handy reference book. Make sure it's the latest version as languages keep updating.
If you are learning Java then work with NetBeans 7.3.1, it's very cool and easy.
Use Eclipse when writing a program. It's an extremely useful program that can debug your code and you can rub your code instantly, as well as using the package explorer to flick through multiple files of your code.
By heart the syntax is a must. You are free to apply it in your own way. Study some sample programs then start coding your own. Enjoy!!!